


Blood and Shadows

by MadelaineHeartEyes



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: All of them are students except Wardwell/Lillith and Faustus, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Dubious Consent, Eating Disorders, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Sexual Manipulation, also wardwell and madam satan are two different characters, and will be addressed as such, set in the UK (just so you can place it), which makes zelda/faustus hella problematic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2019-09-21 12:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17043842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadelaineHeartEyes/pseuds/MadelaineHeartEyes
Summary: The halls of Unsene Academy hold many secrets. After her parents' deaths, 15 year old Sabrina Spellman moves in with her grandparents and teenage aunts, and starts her new life at the prestigious private school. But with family drama, the classic 'mean girls', and budding friendships, how will she cope with the change?(Rating will be updated as the story goes on)





	1. Chapter 1

**Sabrina**

It was a nice service, she supposed. Sabrina Spellman hadn’t attended many funerals in her life, and besides, it was hard to compare that of a family friend to her own parents’. She was sat between the girls who were technically her aunts, but barely older than Sabrina herself. Hilda was sobbing, clutching Sabrina’s hand as silent tears rolled down her own face. Next to Hilda were her grandparents, George and Phiona Spellman, both clutching each other for dear life as though the slightest move would bring them crashing back to reality. Across the aisle sat Diana’s family, blonde hair and blue-eyed as her mother had been, and as Sabrina herself was. But most alarming to Sabrina was the girl on her right side. Zelda was sat there, face stony and hands clenched in her lap. You would have to know her well to see the signs she was barely clinging to her composure – the tightness of her jaw, flush high on her cheekbones, and hands clenched so tight her knuckles had turned white. Sabrina reached over with a shaking hand, and gently uncurled the fist, taking it within her own, pretending not to notice the warm blood against the stone cold palm, or the way it shook almost as much as her own. Zelda’s scarlet nails had pierced her skin, and Sabrina felt another jolt of grief to her heart. She closed her eyes, desperate to just be _gone_ from this moment.

The wake seemed to last for days. Too many people offering condolences, speaking of Edward as though they knew him so well when they had barely made his acquaintance. The tragedy of a life lost so young, when he had so much more to offer. He had been so much more vibrant, exciting than these people made him seem. And the talk of her mother was even worse – no one could go a minute without speaking of how pretty she had been, how Sabrina looked just like her. All she wanted was to be with her family, the only ones who understood.

They made their way back to the house in relative silence. Hilda never let go of Sabrina’s hand, and as they got out of the car, Phiona snaked an arm round her shoulders, and George encircled all three of them. Zelda practically bolted into the house, and was halfway up the stairs before the rest had made it through the door. She barely made it to the landing before she suddenly collapsed onto all fours, a strangled sob escaping her lips. Sabrina locked eyes with Hilda, both of them frozen on the spot. Neither of them had seen Zelda break like this before, and they simply didn’t know how to react. But Phiona kicked off her heels, hurrying up the stairs to take her daughter in her arms. Zelda clung to her desperately, her wails echoing in the hallway. Her mother simply rocked her, stroking her back as she hushed quietly. The remaining three made their way silently into the living room, before George announced in a hoarse voice he was going to make tea. Sabrina felt her heart clench as she heard Zelda on the stairs, and Hilda gently lowered them both onto the sofa, wrapping her arms around the younger girl. Sabrina didn’t realise she was crying again until Hilda was wiping away the tears with her big, soft hands, her own cheeks glistening.

“We’re going to be alright darling. It’ll be okay.”

Her voice was soothing, and Sabrina allowed herself to relax into the older girl’s arms. They didn’t let go for a long time.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was many hours later when they all traipsed upstairs in preparation for the sleep they all knew wouldn’t come. Phiona had re-joined them soon after George had returned with five mugs and a teapot. She whispered something to her husband about putting Zelda to bed - Sabrina couldn’t quite catch what she said after that - then poured herself a cup of tea with hands that still shook slightly. 

The fifth mug was still sat on the coffee table, untouched.

It took Sabrina until the fifth knock on her bedroom door before she realised she’d been staring out of the window blankly for god knows how long, surrounded by the boxes that filled her new bedroom. She piped up with a quiet “come in”, expecting to see Hilda or Phiona come to bid her goodnight and offer some final comfort, so she was surprised when Zelda’s slim form came tentatively through, wrapped in a thick dressing gown. She had never seen Zelda move tentatively in her life. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Zelda without makeup on in recent memory. It was a jarring memory that she lived here now, that this was everyday. The trails of black mascara down her cheeks were gone, but her eyes were still red and puffy. She looked tired, and far older than her 17 years, but also softer than Sabrina had ever seen her. She approached quickly, enveloping her in her arms, and before Sabrina could react, she was apologising almost frantically in her ear.

“I’m so sorry. That was such a selfish thing to do, making a spectacle of myself like that. Completely unfair, I really shouldn’t have done it.”

Sabrina placed a hand on her shoulder.

“No one can be strong all the time Zee. We all have the right to miss him, to be sad.”

Zelda’s eyes were glistening again, and Sabrina could feel her fists clenching again behind her back. She brought them round, opening them up.

“You need to stop doing that though. You can talk to me. He was my dad, but he was your brother.”

Zelda hugged her tightly again, and both of them allowed their sobs to break through the silence. 

“Will you stay with me?”

Sabrina hardly choked out the words, but Zelda nodded fiercely against her neck. Then suddenly she pulled away and straightened up, looking more like her normal self again.

“Let’s go to my room. I’ve got a double bed, and it’s not full of boxes. Tomorrow me and Hilda will help you unpack, if you’re ready.”

Sabrina nodded, and the two of them walked to Zelda’s room. They curled up under the covers, and Sabrina was surprised and grateful in equal measures when the older girl pressed up behind her, and they held each other tightly until sleep finally pulled them under.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

“Are you sure you’re ready to start a new school Sabrina? It’ll be stressful, why not wait another week or so.”

Zelda rolled her eyes at Sabrina, a small smirk lifting the corners of her blood red lips. Sabrina had been living in the big house in Greendale Park for almost two weeks now, and she was finally settling into the routine. She seemed to fit in perfectly to the family life – she acted as a buffer between Hilda and Zelda’s rows, she liked the same television shows, and meals. There was even a spot at the circular table that she and her plate seemed to fill with almost mathematical precision. It was becoming her home, slowly but surely.

“Really Mum, we’re all going back to school, and we may as well all start together. Besides, I’m Head Girl –“

“As you keep reminding us…” Muttered Hilda under her breath. Sabrina couldn’t repress a slight smile. Zelda glared at them both.

“-so I’ll be showing her round, keeping an eye on her so there’s no need to worry.” 

Sabrina nodded at all of this.

“Please Phee. I’m definitely ready. And I’ve already missed a few weeks, I need to start catching up as it’s exam year.”

Phiona threw her hands up.

“Fine. I can see I’m going to lose this. You can start on Monday with the other two. But come home if you want to, and-“ She turned to her daughters “-you look out for her. _Both of you._ ” She looked at Zelda as she finished. Zelda looked affronted.

“Of course I will. I’ll even take her to get her uniform this afternoon.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Sabrina**

As the gates of Unsene Academy loomed closer, Sabrina began to think that perhaps Phiona had been right. There was a feeling of nervousness in the pit of her stomach that she just could not shake. She didn’t know why she was so hung up on the gates. She’d driven past them enough times on the way to her grandparents’ house, they were almost familiar. But actually entering them, past the sculpted copper leaves and vines, up the gravel track was entirely different. Were she alone, she would have probably turned and ran. But she had Hilda on one side, Zelda on the other. She almost laughed at what a sight the three of them must have looked. Zelda on her right, in her fur coat over the rather drab uniform, the tartan skirt showing far more than the regulation amount of thigh, her ginger hair curled to perfection down her back. Sabrina with her red duffle coat and satchel, her blond curls unruly around her face. Hilda in her sensible padded jacket, zipped all the way up against the chill October weather, her skirt down to her knees as was the rule, and her large rucksack hoisted on her back. Unbidden, Sabrina felt a pang of sympathy for the younger girl. Despite being almost the antonym of a rule-follower, Zelda had charmed her way into being Head Girl and the golden girl of the school, while Hilda was a diligent worker who never rocked the boat, and had faded into oblivion. Zelda’s brilliance shone like a flame, whereas Hilda’s gifts were forever taken for granted. Sabrina was glad she appreciated the girl’s warmth and kindness.

She was startled out of her musings when Zelda turned right before the gates. She turned, noticing the surprise in the girl’s face.

“We don’t go through those gates Sabrina; those are for the vehicles. Follow me.”

Sabrina followed the other two up another, much narrower gravel path, which lead straight to the glass doors of the reception area. Zelda smiled wryly as the girl’s eyes widened in awe at the integration of modernity and the classic, almost Hogwarts-like architecture.

“I forgot you’ve never properly seen the school before. It used to be all the classic style, but they decided to update it a bit a few years ago. We have form like other schools, but you have to come through here every day to scan in your ID. Which you need to get printed.” She turned to her sister. “I’ll see you first period Hilda, we’ve got that university lecturer giving a talk.”

The other girl nearly spoke, but then closed her mouth and turned to Sabrina instead. She gave her a quick hug and one of her huge smiles.

“Have a great day love! Text me if you need anything.” 

Sabrina smiled, ignoring Zelda’s rolled eyes as she placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the reception desk. Sabrina tried to ignore the swooping feeling in her stomach again.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

“So this is the year 11 common room.”

Sabrina was shocked at how homely the room looked, full of plush armchairs and sofas, all inhabited by students – laughing, reading, or simply gazing into space in an early-morning haze. The noticeboard was covered in club sign up sheets, and there was a row of computers by the window. Zelda gave that same smile again, pleased that Sabrina seemed so taken with the Academy already.

“Your form room is right next door, so not too tricky to find. You’ve got Miss Wardwell. You’ll like her; she teaches English, and she’s rather nice too.”

Sabrina felt comforted by this – she was terrified the teachers here would be nasty, and expect too much from her. Zelda might seem cold, but every member of staff she encountered so far had told her how many good things Zelda had told them about her. She just hoped she lived up to their (and her) expectations.

Zelda steered her out again, stopping by the room next door just as the bell rang. Hoards of students began to file into the corridors and into classrooms, and Sabrina felt her nervousness rise once more. Zelda seemed to sense this. In a rare gesture of affection, she reached out to smooth down some blond hair caught under her black headband, then placed both hands on her shoulders.

“You will be absolutely fine. Most of the students here are very polite. Some of them exceptional in all different ways. Just avoid all the other and you’ll do fine.”

She kissed Sabrina forehead, then straightened her tie.

“Stay neat, you want to make a good first impression.”

Sabrina laughed at this, and Zelda even cracked a smile.

“Coming from you!”

But her aunt had already turned and walked away. Sabrina was in awe of the way the crowds seemed to part at the sight of her.

When she tentatively stepped through the door to her form room, Sabrina was relieved to see that most of the students were still turned around, chatting to each other, a few of them standing around near the back, peering at yet another full noticeboard. The desks were the old fashioned style single ones, and the bookcases were packed. But the room had a certain light, airiness to it. Miss Wardwell was organising some papers on her desk, but looked up when she noticed Sabrina, her face splitting into a wide smile, beckoning her over. Her rather frizzy brown hair was tied up behind her head, and she wore thick black glasses. She extended a hand and Sabrina shook it, noticing the warmth emanating from it.

“Welcome to Unsene Academy. As you can imagine, I have heard a great deal about you from Zelda – most of it good.” They both laughed, Sabrina a little nervously; the knot in her chest was still tight. “I know you’ve had a tough time of it recently, so it is our duty to help you as much as possible.” She smiled warmly again, then turned to address the rest of the room. “Alright everyone, settle down! I’d like to introduce everyone to our new student – Sabrina Spellman. She’ll be with us for the remainder of this academic year at the very least, so I want you to make her feel as welcome as possible. Sabrina, if you go and sit next to Rosalind and Susie.” She indicated the desk, and the two girls waved from the back of the room. She hurried to the seat, not enjoying the whole rooms’ eyes being on her. She was glad she was sat at the back for the time being.

The girl with the tightly curled hair and chocolaty skin smiled at her, shifting over to the next desk so that Sabrina could sit between the two girls that Wardwell had indicated. 

“Hi, I’m Ros, and that’s Susie,” she indicated the girl with cropped brown hair who reminded Sabrina of a pixie somehow, “are you Zelda and Hilda’s sister?”

Sabrina couldn’t help but smile, used to the assumption. “Not really – they’re technically my aunts even though we’re so close in age. They’re my dad’s sisters.” She felt a sudden pang of grief at the mention of her father, and Ros must have noticed the clench in her jaw, and she didn’t pry any further. Then Susie piped up from her other side.

“What options are you taking?”

Sabrina looked down at her freshly printed timetable. “History, Psychology, French and Drama.” Ros grinned at this.

“No way, that’s exactly the same as me! And pretty much as Susie – she’s taking Art instead of Psychology, she hates science.” All three of them giggled at that.

“I’m not a huge fan of it, but Hilda convinced me, told me it was really good, and I enjoyed it last year. I’m not excited about the exam though.”

Ros looked stricken at the thought.

“The real exam is nothing in comparison to Unsene mock week. Honey, you’ve got a big storm coming!" 

But Sabrina found she didn’t really mind in that moment – the two girls were kind, and it seemed she’d be spending a lot of time with them. Maybe this would all be easier than she expected.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

Her morning of classes passed with little incident. The teachers seemed excited at the prospect of a Spellman in their classes. Though she had a mound of homework already, she felt far more comfortable here than she expected to.

Ros had dragged her out of the classroom as soon as the bell rang for lunch, Susie following close behind. While she was puzzled at first, she was pleased when she got to the canteen and realised they were near the front of the cue. Sabrina collected her plate of roast dinner, paying with her new ID card (a concept she found rather strange, much to the others’ amusement).

They led her over to a table near the corner of the large room. Sabrina couldn’t help but be shocked by the grandeur of all the buildings. The ceiling was impossibly high, with huge windows and long, oak tables. The three of them sat, and were soon joined by a shy looking boy called Harvey, who Sabrina found herself blushing every time she made eye contact with. Susie elbowed her under the table, giggling under her breath.

Zelda had caught up with her as they made their way back to the common room, spelling inexplicably of strong cologne and something almost smoky, asking her how her day had been so far. Her face lit up when Sabrina seemed so genuinely happy, and gave her a quick hug more similar to her sister’s behaviour than her own, but she was grateful nevertheless.

She should have known it was too good to last.

Her afternoon class was drama, and she was particularly excited. It was one of her favourite subjects, and Zelda’s passion, and the older girl never stopped raving about the drama department at this school, so Sabrina was looking forward to experiencing it herself.

Ros led her to a separate building, this one far more modern.

“This is the performing arts building. We specialise as a school in 3 different areas – performing, history and science – but Zelda’s probably told you all that - and so we put more funding into those things.”

They passed 2 large music classrooms, a recording studio and a soundproofed practice room on the ground floor alone before they reached the hall, and Sabrina was enthralled. The room was more similar in style to the rest of the school, but draped in black curtains with lighting rigs attached to the ceiling. They stowed their bags in the cubby holes in one corner, and made their way to the center of the room where the students were convening. The class was small – barely a dozen students.

“Ah, you must be Sabrina Spellman! Zelda’s… niece if I’m correct? I’ve heard so much about you.”

Sabrina turned to the owner of the voice, finding a rather short, bald-headed man. He extended his hand, and Sabrina shook it.

“My name is Professor Fiennes, but you may as well call me Andrew, everyone else seems to.”

He smiled at this, not seeming to have any particular objections to it. Sabrina smiled back.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Zelda speaks really highly of you.”

He smiled wider, beaming with pride.

“Yes, the girl certainly knows how to flatter. She’ll go far. If you have even an ounce of her talent, we will get along just fine!”

Then came a discussion about the logistics – Sabrina had completed her performance section of the course at her last school six months ago, and could either complete another one here, or simply use her old grade. In the end, she opted for the former. It was more work, but she enjoyed it. She was planning on joined their group piece, and doing a duologue with Ros.

Then they started to read through their scripts as a class – _Our Country’s Good_ by Timberlake Wertenbaker, and Sabrina was pleased. It was one of her favourite plays. But when Andrew chose her to read the part of Mary, she noticed glaring eyes from three girls in particular. But she connected with the text, and felt a rush of pride when the class applauded after she finished Mary’s most dramatic scene. The bell seemed to ring too quickly, and then Andrew was saying goodbye, setting them work, and they were grabbing their bags from the corner when Sabrina heard a voice.

“Who do you think you are?”

She turned, seeing the girls from earlier. The one who had spoken had skin like Ros, but short, platinum finger waves. Her dark lipstick-lined lips snarled over her white teeth. The other two stood slightly behind. One with ginger hair tied back, the other’s long and black. All three wore their uniform with the same effortless cool as Zelda – skirts slightly too short, heels a little too high. Sabrina forced herself to look them in the eye, feeling Ros stiffen beside her.

“You think you can waltz in and mooch of Zelda’s reputation? You’re not a patch on her – or us. Back off.”

They turned in almost eerie synchronisation, walking through the doors and letting them slam behind them.

“Who the fuck was that?”

Ros merely sighed.

“Prudence, Dorcas and Agatha. The resident mean girls. And self-professed queens of the drama department.”

She noticed Sabrina’s scowl, and changed her tone.

“But don’t worry about them – you impressed him, you should be happy.”

Sabrina could not shake the feeling of worry that had settled itself in the pit of her stomach. 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

That evening, Hilda and Sabrina walked home alone. The sun was already dipping below the horizon, and the chill cut right down to her bones, making her shiver.

Zelda had joined them as they left, only to tell them that she would not be back until later, as she had both rehearsals and – in her own words – “a social life to get back to” before she swept away, her heels clicking on the stone floor.

“How was your day? Did you meet anyone nice?” 

Sabrina smiled.

“Yeah, there’s a couple of girls that I basically all of my classes with. They’re really nice." 

Hilda grinned at this.

“That’s great! You’re going to be fine here.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning - some sexual manipulation going on in this chapter. Stay safe <3

**Zelda**

When Zelda was 7, she wanted to be a doctor, like the one who had helped mummy when she fell down the stairs. It had terrified her, hearing her mother’s cries and her father’s panicked shouting. Phiona had been fine, but Zelda had been so in awe of the woman who had fixed her.

Then at 11, she wanted to be a politician like Edward. The way people respected him, the way he spoke in front of crowds – she craved it.

She was 15 when she realised what she loved was adoration, not politics, and she discovered acting. And with the same ruthless determination as she had attacked her other passions, she turned her sights to the idea of attending drama school. All her life she had been described as excessive and dramatic, so it seemed a logical continuation for her to do something with these traits.

Certainly, no one would ever doubt her determination. When applications for Head Girl opened, she spent hours perfecting her letter, then her interview. And if the head of sixth form, Faustus Blackwood, took a particular shine to her, all the better. Even if he did leave mouth-shaped bruises down her neck.

Now, six weeks after Edward’s death, and Zelda was finding it more and more difficult to resist Faustus’ advances. Her breath almost caught in her throat as she knocked on the door to his office – he had summoned her at the end of the day, by way of his secretary, and she climbed the spiral staircase with an unwanted sense of trepidation. They had only snuck quick kisses in darkened classrooms since she had returned to school. His office was a whole different game.

“Enter.”

His deep voice responded before her knuckles had even left the mahogany of the door. She twisted the knob, willing her hands to stop shaking. His face spread into an almost predatory smile when he saw her, rising from his chair and coming round from his desk. Before she could speak, he had snapped the door shut behind her and captured her lips in a kiss that made her knees weak. His hands clasped around her waist, and he moaned in approval.

“You get more beautiful by the day my darling. You’ve lost weight.”

She frowned slightly. She had struggled to eat for the month after her brother’s death, wallowing in grief too deep to care. She had noticed herself getting dizzy as she stood up occasionally. But her seemed to like it, and basking in the approval she lent back in, allowing his mouth to drop to her neck, a gasp escaping her lips when he sucked on her pulse point. Taking this as encouragement, he steered them towards the sofa, pulling him onto his lap so she had no choice but to straddle him, her skirt hitching up around her waist. Before she knew what was happening, he was sliding her tights down her legs as her heels fell to the ground, her mouth once more occupied with his.

Suddenly, her flipped her onto her back, so she lay on the sofa. Dazed, Zelda barely registered the sound of his belt being unbuckled. Then she snapped back to reality, pushing herself into a sitting position.

“Oh no. I-I’m sorry, I don’t feel…”

He looked her straight in the eye and she couldn’t help but notice the quiet rage burning in his.

“What do you mean?”

She recoiled slightly.

“I’m still – it’s too soon.”

“What, you weren’t fucking your brother were you?”

He gave a short bark of laughter. She couldn’t join him, feeling nauseous suddenly. Then he got on top of her, leaning forward to whisper into her hair.

“I’ve missed you. My wife is being – difficult. You’re the only one who understands me.”

She felt a warmth spreading in her stomach, and lower, and couldn’t help her breath hitching in her throat. Quick as a flash, he whipped off her tie and began unbuttoning her blouse. This felt wrong somehow, in a way it hadn’t before. But he continued to remove his trousers, and she simply lay back.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

It was short, mercifully. Faustus seemed to be pent up, and his release was more intense than Zelda remembered. She wondered whether he’d slept with his wife in the time since she last saw him. From his post-coital satisfaction, she assumed not. He stroked her hair with a tenderness she also didn’t remember, once more whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

“I-I’d better go.”

He seemed disappointed, but helped her locate her tie, watching her redress as he stretched on the sofa. She left quickly, descending the staircase too fast in her heels, almost tripping over herself.

She stopped at the girl’s toilets to fix herself up. She ran a brush through her hair, wrapped her scarf around her neck to cover the bruises. She couldn’t conceal the shaking in her hands though – why she was so flustered, she didn’t quite understand. But somehow, it felt different than before. She checked the mirror one last time. Hilda would notice, but she doubted anyone else would.

The walk home was slow, her aching core and trembling knees forcing her to take more languid strides than usual. She went straight upstairs, pulling out a script for something to do. Her eyes barely registered the highlighted words she was supposed to be learning, and her mind kept on reverting back to Faustus shaking between her thighs, and she almost laughed at her own idiocy – she needed to get over it. She just wasn’t in the mood, but it had satisfied him so it didn’t matter.

Her mother calling for dinner snapped her out of her reverie. She stood up to go downstairs, before noticing she hadn’t reclaimed her tights. No wonder her legs were cold. She slipped on another pair, replacing her scarf with some carefully placed concealer, before hurrying down.

She couldn’t help but push her food around her plate, eating mainly the broccoli that was piled in the corner. If she had lost weight, there was no point putting it straight back on again. And Faustus had liked it, and that filled her with a certain sense of pride. Of all of the girls, he had chosen her, and he didn’t seem to be getting bored of her yet. She couldn’t let that change. 

She felt her sister’s eyes on her plate, although thankfully Sabrina was too absorbed in chatting away to notice, distracting her parents too. Zelda thought she had seen Hilda crinkle her nose when she sat down as well – the scent of Faustus’ cologne had always clung to her skin for hours, requiring a long shower to rid herself of. It must have been expensive, just like his shirts (he often reprimanded her for scrunching them up in her hands whenever she clung to him). Somehow, she didn’t mind her sister knowing, even as she eyed her neck. She straightened her back, eating another mouthful of broccoli, before downing her glass of water and excusing herself, scraping her pork chop and potatoes surreptitiously into the bin. No point causing a useless battle with her parents.

What she really needed was a cigarette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit shorter, but it's mainly just to introduce Zelda's storyline. Thanks for reading! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Hilda**

Hilda had never felt prouder in her life than watching Sabrina blossom. After her first week at the academy, she had made wonderful friends with the kindest girls in her year (exactly the ones that Hilda would have chosen, which made her giggle every time she thought about it), and was loving the classes and the teachers. She tried not to let jealousy bloom in her belly – Zelda she was allowed to be jealous of. Zelda treated her like dirt most of the time, brandishing her achievements to mock her as often as possible. Sabrina was good-natured, loving and sweet. So Hilda tried to ignore the raving emails Phiona had received from various members of staff, or the way her Biology teacher had rattled on in front of the whole class for five minutes about Hilda’s wonderful new relative at the school.

Especially seeing as Biology was her _thing._ Unlike Zelda, who changed her career aspirations as often as her boyfriends, Hilda had always wanted to be a nurse – encouraged by everyone telling her how wonderful she would be as one, she had dedicated much of her time to researching and studying to put herself in the best position. She adored Biology and Chemistry, the technicalities of understanding how things worked; Psychology for the same reason – it allowed her to understand _people_ on a deeper level. And Health and Social Care seemed like a subject designed specifically for her – helping people in various situations, using her heart and her head in conjunction.

But Sabrina was allowed to be good at these things too. So Hilda brushed off the pangs of jealousy and focussed on the pride.

She woke early on Saturday morning – she had never been one to stay in bed late. Unlike her sister, who lay under the covers until they were ripped away from her. To be fair to Zelda, on Saturday mornings she was usually nursing a horrific hangover. Hilda had long since made her peace with rarely being invited to the wild parties that the academy was famous for among the local youth. Zelda thrived on company, and Hilda privately praised that alcohol seemed to remove the stick from her arse. Hilda however, as sad as it sounds, preferred a good book to moshing with almost-strangers.

She made her way downstairs quietly to begin breakfast. Her heart nearly stopped when she noticed a figure sitting at the kitchen table, facing away from her. She relaxed slightly at the familiar red waves.

“Zelda! You almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing up?”

Her sister whipped her head around, knocking the cup of black coffee she had been clutching to the floor. They both winced at the crash, and the dark liquid spreading across the pale tiles. Zelda buried her head in her hands for a moment, then straightened up. Hilda registered last night’s clothes. Her eyes were puffy, her makeup smeared around them.

“I-I couldn’t sleep when I got back. I just sat down here in the end.”

Before Hilda could speak, her sister was stumbling out of her seat and across the hall, into the downstairs bathroom. She followed her quickly, kneeling down next to her shaking body, rubbing circles on her back as she retched into the toilet. Nothing came out, and Zelda was too out of it to throw her off.

After what felt like hours, but was probably less than a minute, Zelda leaned back against the cool tile of the walls, her eyes closed against Hilda’s questioning look.

“Bloody hangover.”

Hilda quirked an eyebrow at this. She had heard Zelda return last night, and her footsteps were unusually steady. However, she decided not to question it.

“Are you alright? I’ll get you a glass of water or -“

But before she could finish, Zelda had pulled herself into a standing position on unsteady legs. 

“I’m fine you imbecile. Now run off to your fucking volunteering or whatever else you’re doing.”

Hilda turned away, stung, and left the bathroom before making her way back upstairs. Sometimes, she wished Sabrina was her sister instead of Zelda.


End file.
